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Book Review: The House of Night Series

Well Twilight fans, while you are waiting the the "New Moon" movie to come out, I recommend you start reading the (can I say highly addictive) House of Night books by P.C. & Kristin Cast. These books are definitely young adult reading, and do contain some sexual and alcohol and drug-related scenes that may be inappropriate for some preteen readers. The comfort with homosexuality and diversity issues, as well as references to current pop-culture icons, like gossip girl, is refreshing and makes the books really interesting. There are currently four (reviewed below) books in this series and the next one, Hunted, is due out in March, 2009.

In Marked (2007), we meet the heroine of the story, Zoey, a Cherokee teenager marked as a vampyre, and special to the Goddess Nyx, in a world where humans and vampyres live together, but not in harmony. Newly marked as a fledgling vampyre Zoey joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampyre. There are some perils associated with this transition, including her religious fanatic step-loser's reaction to her mark, and the fact that some kids die before making the change. Zoey meets great friends, finds she has amazing powers, and falls in love several times during the first book as her power and sexuality build. Before the book is over she will need her friends and her powers to bring down an evil peer and do what she knows is right. This is a great book about the power of "right" and importance of friends.

In book two of the House of Night series Zoey finds herself brutally Betrayed (2007) just when she was settling in to her new life as the leader of the Dark Sons & Daughters in the House of Night. As a vampyre goddess in training she feels like she belongs at school, when human teenagers from her past start being killed and she realizes that "all things that appear light, are not good." Blood lust and passion confuse matters when the imprinting between she and her old human boyfriend creates a telepathic connection that might just save his life. Her powers may threaten her friends, whom she needs, as well as her steadfast and loving grandmother, who seems to understand her.

Chosen (2008) begins when everything in Zoey's life is turned upside down. Her closest friends are upset with her, she is becoming friends with someone she believed was evil, her best friend is undead, and Zoey is struggling against her blood lust and passion for three males. Zoey must trust her own intuition to save Stevie Rae and embrace the powers the goddess has given her to avoid a war with humans after an adult vampyre is killed. The entire world feels wrong to Zoey, but who will believe her?

Untamed (2008) begins with life having fallen apart for Zoey. The loss of all her boyfriends and the lack of any support from her friends, coupled with her almost undead friend and one who has become almost human again make for a strange twist of reality. Zoey questions her gifts as blessings or curses, seems to pull her life together, just in time for an ancient evil to be released, threatening everything she loves.

Do not forget that I warned you these books are addictive! Have fun reading!